


chance meetings at the thinking cup cafe

by broccolee_7



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - High School, I hope, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, and funny, donghyuck just wants a bf, generally very light!, lucas is a Super Nice Guy, mark is just stressed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broccolee_7/pseuds/broccolee_7
Summary: “You’ve gotta get back to the basics, dude. Just, push him up against the lockers, tell him a place and a time, and give him The Look. It’ll be impossible to refuse.”Donghyuck wasn’t sure if he was physically capable of pushing Lucas into anything, but nothing else had gotten his point across, so he figured he’d put the wall slam energy into a text to sweep his crush off his feet.Mark had always been a romantic, but he was getting tired of waiting for someone to come along and sweep him off his feet. So, when he got a text from a stranger that contained a confession and instructions for a date, he couldn’t help but think that his love story had finally begun.or:Donghyuck tries to snatch his crush but he ends up snatching Mark instead (oops)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	1. casually dropping a line

“Ugh, this is the actual worst,” Donghyuck groaned as he fell into step beside his friends, all heading to the smoothie place that they frequented after school for their Friday hangout. “We have a partner project in Chem, right, which we all know would be a perfect opportunity to, you know, get together outside of school. But then Ms. Young went and _assigned_ us partners!”

“So you’re not working with Lucas,” Jaemin concluded.

Donghyuck nodded grimly. “Exactly. Like, I’m cool with us sitting next to each other, and chatting and everything, but it would’ve been the perfect time to step up my game and get him to date me.”

Renjun rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you just ask him out? You guys get along well, and he’s an expert at turning people down by now, so if you get rejected he’ll at least be nice about it.”

“That’s exactly it though! I have to do something _different_ , he gets tons of people asking him out, and I’m sure they all thought they had a decent chance too.”

Jaemin snorted. “You’ve gotta get back to the basics, dude. Just, push him up against the lockers, tell him a place and a time, and give him The Look. It’ll be impossible to refuse.”

Renjun snickered, and Donghyuck wondered why he’d ever asked them for help with his crush in the first place. 

Later that night, lying flat on his bed and avoiding his math homework, Donghyuck found himself considering Jaemin’s suggestion. He was right, in a way. 

Lucas was absolutely gorgeous. It was a fact that their whole school was aware of, and it got a hundred times worse if you got to know him because then you realized that he was also friendly and goofy and smart. It wasn’t fair, honestly, that he’d gotten all of the good stuff.

Donghyuck had known about Lucas since he’d transferred in during sophomore year, but he hadn’t taken interest until they’d been seated next to each other two years later in Chemistry. And then Donghyuck had understood why he was always getting letters, or little presents, or random confessions. And while he wanted to ask Lucas out, he really didn’t want to join the gang of Lucas-rejects.

Jaemin’s wall slam idea would definitely give him an edge in the competition. But, the more he thought it over, the more Donghyuck realized that he probably wasn’t physically capable of pushing Lucas into anything, nor would he be able to stay cool while reenacting every cliched romance drama that he’d ever been forced to watch.

As Donghyuck pulled out his phone to annoy his friends about his dilemma, an idea came to him: he could go through with Jaemin’s wall slam plan over text! He’d gotten Lucas’ number from a friend of a friend a while back, but he hadn’t had the courage to even think about texting him until now. It would spare him the humiliation of being rejected at school, it would still be a bit different than everyone else’s, and if things went wrong, well, at least it was limited to the screen of Donghyuck’s phone. If things went really wrong, he could always pull the wrong number excuse.

He opened the contact and composed his message without giving his brain any time to think of everything that could go wrong. This was his senior year, and he wanted to date a cute boy, and this was his chance. 

He pressed send, set his phone to vibrate, and proceeded to stare at his ceiling and attempt to ignore his panic.

_Hi, this is Donghyuck. I really like you :)  
meet me at Thinking Cup cafe at noon tomorrow_

It was 11:52 on Saturday morning and Donghyuck had yet to receive a response. He checked his phone again as he entered the cafe, ordering an iced tea and settling in at a table where he could keep an eye on the door.

He’d worn something nice, but not so nice that it showed how desperate he was. At least, that’s what Renjun had said. Jaemin had been absolutely useless throughout the situation, apparently finding it hilarious that Donghyuck had actually gone through with some element of his plan.

By 12:15, Donghyuck was slurping at his ice cubes and losing hope. He’d thought that maybe the lack of response could have been an attempt at returning the smooth assertion of Donghyuck’s message, but it could’ve easily meant that Lucas just wasn’t interested.

_I’ll take that as a no?_

A response came almost immediately, and Donghyuck’s entire body went tense.

_no! I’m at a table in the back_  
_maybe I got here before you?_

_I’ll come find you!_

Donghyuck stared at his phone, unable to get up. He’d actually come! And he’d used an exclamation point, which were positive, and probably didn’t indicate rejection. Plus he’d gotten there early, which meant interest.

He took a deep breath as he stood, ready to go snatch the boy of his dreams. He didn’t even care that Jaemin was going to rub it in his face, he was already thinking of everything they could do together: cute dates over the summer, cozy dates in the winter… just dates, in general. Donghyuck was nabbing a _boyfriend_.

✱

Mark fidgeted in his seat, already on his second iced coffee of the morning. He’d been up all night trying to figure out who Donghyuck was, and spent what little energy he’d had left trying on every single item of clothing that he owned. His brother Jaehyun had eventually taken pity on him, lending him a light sweater and a stylish belt.

Jaehyun initially hadn’t wanted Mark to go, had wanted Mark to at least figure out who the guy was before meeting him, but he’d calmed down when Mark had shown him the texts because he apparently knew someone who worked at the cafe.

Mark had wanted to text back with some questions, too, but Chenle had instructed him to maintain the ‘slick, cool guy mood’ by simply showing up. Jeno and Jisung had been absolutely useless throughout the entire affair, so that was all Mark had had to go by. And when Donghyuck had texted him in the cafe, Mark hadn’t had any time to consult anyone for fear of the other leaving before Mark even got to meet him.

The exclamation point had probably killed whatever mood Chenle was going on about, and Mark’s follow up text about getting there early had probably made him seem super desperate, but he was trying not to dwell on it. 

Rather, he sat up tall in the booth, and scanned the cafe for his mysterious date. He hoped he’d be able to recognize him when their eyes met, or feel _something_ in his heart, but when a boy wandered over to the back of the cafe with searching eyes, Mark just panicked.

His secret admirer or whatever was really freaking cute. His face was round, his features soft and delicate. His hair curled over his eyebrows, and his skin was golden even in the shitty cafe lighting. But Mark thought his eyes were the cutest, wide as he searched the cafe, hope and excitement dancing beneath his thick lashes.

Mark stood up and waved the boy over, unable to stop a smile from lifting his lips. 

“Hi, Donghyuck?” he asked when the boy had come a bit closer to his table. He wore an oversized striped tee, and the sleeves dipped low to cover his knuckles. Mark was honestly getting very overwhelmed by how cute and soft he was, and he momentarily forgot about the panic simmering in the back of his head.

Donghyuck’s face scrunched up in confusion, which was also absolutely adorable. “Who the fuck are you?”

“I—What do you mean, who am I? You asked me out!”

“I asked you…” Donghyuck paled. “Oh, fuck. Ugh, I thought I was being all suave and cool but I didn’t even text the right number.”

Mark stared at him dumbly as he slid into the booth.

“I’m really sorry about that. I can like, pay for your drink or something? Why’d you even show up, do you know who I am?”

Mark shook his head. He supposed he should’ve seen something like this coming. “No, I was just curious I guess. I probably should’ve known it was something like that, haha.”

“No, no, this one’s on me. Seriously, I’m sorry again. I can get food, if you want? I feel bad for wasting your Saturday morning,” Donghyuck explained. He looked sincere, and Mark decided to ignore the cold feeling in his chest and take this as an opportunity. Here was a cute boy asking to buy him lunch. Even if he liked someone else, Mark could still get something out of it, and maybe figure out what exactly had gone wrong.

“That’d be nice, I guess. I’ve never been here before, is the food any good?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s good,” Donghyuck said as he went to toss his drink in the nearest trash can. “God, I feel like such an idiot. Sorry again.”

Mark shook his head. “Really, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s not like I had anything else to do anyway.”

He refused to think about the sleepless night that Donghyuck’s text had brought him, or the hope that had been fluttering in his chest throughout it. At least there was less pressure now, in terms of being a good date. All he had to be was a—well, he supposed he just had to be a normal dude. Which meant he should probably stop staring at Donghyuck. 

As they got in line at the counter, a cashier that he vaguely recognized as one of his brother’s friends raised an eyebrow, and Mark scowled. He probably shouldn’t have even accepted Donghyuck’s offer of food. Now he’d end up getting attached and overthink the entire failed date for the next month. 

God, and he’d made it so obvious that he was desperate for a boyfriend. Desperate enough to meet a total stranger in a cafe and then get lunch with them even knowing it was all just a big mistake.

✱

Donghyuck could already hear Jaemin laughing at him. Renjun would probably roll his eyes and go on about what an idiot he was. Of course he’d texted the wrong number. Of course, the one time he worked up the courage to actually do something about his stupid crush, he’d texted the wrong fucking number. He just prayed Lucas never found out about any of it.

If it weren’t for the boy sitting across from him, Donghyuck would’ve bashed his head into the table. They’d gone back to his booth, and were picking at their food in silence. Donghyuck couldn’t even imagine holding conversation, what with his brain stuck between him being an idiot and feeling bad for dragging this guy into his bullshit.

“Oh, shit, I never got your name,” Donghyuck said, and the boy looked back at him with wide eyes. 

“Oh, it’s fine. I’m Mark Lee,” he introduced himself with a lopsided smile. 

Donghyuck was glad he seemed so chill about everything. He was sure that some people might not have been so forgiving.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mark. Even though the circumstances are a bit wacky.”

Mark laughed. “Yeah, it’s kinda crazy. How did you end up texting me, anyway?”

Donghyuck shrugged. “I’ve had the contact for a while, I don’t even remember who gave it to me. But I really, one hundred percent thought I was finally asking out my crush.”

“That sucks.” Mark frowned. “Kudos to you for trying!”

Donghyuck laughed drily. “Yeah, I guess. I just don’t know if I’m gonna be able to do it again, though. I got lucky this time, but knowing me I’ll probably text some old lady if I go for it again.”

Mark giggled now, and Donghyuck felt oddly at ease with how bright the other was. “I’m sure that won’t happen. Just double check next time! Have you known him, or, uh, them, I guess, for a while?”

“It’s a guy. And not really? I mean, I’ve gone to school with him since he transferred in two years back, but I didn’t like, get to know him until this year.”

Mark nodded. He looked like he was genuinely invested in the conversation—brow furrowed and lips pursed in thought. “What’s he like?”

Donghyuck sighed. “Well, he’s super hot, for starters. Like, model level. I think he has a contract with an actual agency? I don’t know, but I think everyone’s had a crush on him at some point. And at first I was like, ugh, I should stay away from that, because, I don’t know, it just seemed super shallow and I didn’t want to get involved. But then we ended up sitting next to each other this year? And I know the stereotypical ‘it boy’ is usually a total dick, but Lucas is just—he’s so nice. And also really funny? And smart?”

“Wait, you don’t mean like, Lucas Wong, do you?”

Donghyuck gasped and leaned forward. “Yeah! Do you know him?” 

“Yeah, he’s like, a family friend, actually. Damn, that’s crazy!” Mark’s eyes were wide and his lips were curled into an awed smile. 

“Seriously? Dude, what the heck?”

“Hold up, I can just text you his number, gimme a sec,” Mark said, pulling out his phone.

Donghyuck grinned, amazed at how quickly things had turned around. His heart beat faster when the text came in, and he quickly changed Mark’s contact name to avoid future confusion. “Dude, thank you so much, oh my god. What should I say, though?”

Mark shrugged. “He’s a pretty down to earth guy, so just be honest, I guess? Like just tell him what you told me just now, or maybe like, a shortened version, haha. And then just ask if he’d want to go out with you some time!”

“Isn’t that, like, what everyone does, though? I need to stand out if I want a chance,” Donghyuck said with a frown.

“Nah, most people have like, a whole script memorized. He just wants someone genuine,” Mark explained simply.

“Are you guys close?”

“Yeah, I guess. I helped him out a lot when he first moved here, because I also moved here a while back, so we ended up becoming pretty good friends. Trust me, he’ll like the simple confession. Just be yourself!”

“Wow, I really did get lucky texting your number, huh?”

Mark laughed, a bit of a blush dusting his cheeks. Donghyuck was glad the awkward atmosphere had dissipated, but he could already feel the nerves coming back as he thought about texting Lucas.

“Okay, let’s stop talking about Lucas before I start freaking out,” Donghyuck said before digging into his sandwich.

Mark laughed again. “Hey, at least you have the right number this time!”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “What else could go wrong?”

Mark’s laugh was infectious, and Donghyuck soon found himself joining in.

“But, yeah, you said you moved here a while ago?”

Mark’s face brightened. “Yeah, I’m from Canada! My family came over here to be closer with our family when I was in middle school.”

“Woah, that’s pretty far. Was it hard, like, transitioning and all that?”

“Yeah, I didn’t speak Korean so it was really tough at first. But I ended up being neighbors with this kid who spoke English, so that was really nice.” Mark flushed. “He’s probably part of the reason we ended up in this mess, haha. He told me not to respond to your texts to—I forget what he said exactly, but it was something about ‘an air of mystery’ or some bullshit.”

Donghyuck laughed, imagining for the first time how weird this must’ve been from Mark’s end. “It was actually one of my friends who gave me the vague text idea, so I guess we’re in the same boat.”

Mark grinned as he shook his head, and from there the conversation flowed naturally. Donghyuck learned that Mark lived a bit out of the way from the cafe, but that his older brother attended university in the area, and that apparently one of his friends was keeping an eye on them. They traded stories about their friends, and whatever other topics came up. When Mark’s phone buzzed almost two hours later, Donghyuck realized that he had barely touched the second half of his sandwich, too engrossed in the boy across from him.

“Woah, we’ve been here a while. I’ve gotta get to practice, but it was super nice to meet you, Donghyuck! Let me know how things go with Lucas!” Mark smiled as he cleaned up his dishes and got ready to leave.

Donghyuck stood with him, and waved him off. “I’ll text you with an update when I finally get myself to do it,” he called after Mark with a chuckle. He was surprised that he was disappointed that the other had to leave, but he also felt a lot better about texting Lucas. 

As the cafe doors closed behind Mark, Donghyuck immediately texted his chat with Jaemin and Renjun. He hadn’t updated them at all since earlier in the morning, and he really wanted to just sit down and think through everything that had just gone down.

✱

As Mark walked from the cafe to his bus stop, he wasn’t quite sure how to feel. He hadn’t quite gotten the romantic encounter that he’d been hoping for, but he was definitely glad that he’d met Donghyuck, though he probably shouldn’t be. Donghyuck seemed to really like Lucas, and Mark had already put himself in the position of supporting them.

And it really sucked that it was Lucas, because Mark just couldn’t be mad at him. Donghyuck was right, Lucas _was_ nice and funny and smart, and he was one of Mark's closest friends. He’d known Lucas for years, and he’d known Donghyuck for a couple of hours, so he knew he shouldn’t be feeling so bitter. It wasn’t Lucas’ fault that Mark was super shy and lame and just didn’t attract people’s attention in the same way that he did. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he decided to distract himself by responding to the texts he’d missed from his brother.

_don’t get killed_

_yuta says you’ve been sitting alone for like  
20 minutes just go home_

_hey i heard that you just left, glad it went well!_

_it kinda didn’t :(_

_wdym?_

_he texted the wrong number_

_it was actually kinda funny tbh_

_he was trying to ask lucas out but he got stuck  
with me instead lol_

_oof_

_why were you there for like two hours  
then???_

_yuta thought you guys were cute???_

_yeah no hes super nice!_

_i gave him lucas’ actual number and then we  
just ended up talking for a while_

_but he’s into lucas_

_yeah lol_

_at least he wasn’t a serial killer !!_

Mark rolled his eyes and slid his phone back into his pocket. Luckily, the bus was just approaching his stop, so he put in his headphones and tried to stop his mind from replaying every bit of his conversation with Donghyuck. 

He’d just been so friendly! And although he looked soft and shy, he had really been quite the opposite. Mark couldn’t help but think that they’d balanced each other out nicely. He’d felt so natural, talking to him, which was rare in talking to someone for the first time. 

His cheeks flushed as he realized that he’d ended up being the one taking up all of Donghyuck’s afternoon. Donghyuck had only offered to buy him lunch to make up for the number mix up, but Mark had gone and made it a whole get to know you. Donghyuck probably didn’t even care about Mark’s personal life apart from Lucas, it’s not like they would ever see each other again. 

Mark was annoyed by how upset he was at the thought. Even if he didn’t have a chance with Donghyuck, he’d hoped they could be friends, at least. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he groaned as he pulled it out.

He quickly opened the text upon seeing it was from Donghyuck, whose name was saved with a heart and a question mark, which Mark quickly deleted.

_hey mark! i just wanted to apologize again for  
everything. i ended up taking your whole  
saturday :( but it was super nice meeting you,  
and thanks for everything with lucas! im gonna  
text him tonight, so wish me luck_

_donghyuck ! i had a good time as well, so don’t  
worry about it! next time’s on me ;)_

Mark immediately shut off his phone screen and buried it in his pocket, ignoring the buzzing of the response. What was that?? A winky face?? A next time??? He groaned, face physically hot and insides feeling like they were melting.

Although, he supposed he’d been obvious from the minute he showed up to a date with someone that he didn’t even know. The best thing to do would be to forget about all of it. But, if Donghyuck did end up dating Lucas, he’d totally see him around. Oh God, Lucas would totally be able to tell that Mark liked his boyfriend. He’d gone a date with him! Well, not technically a date, but Mark had basically just gone out with his bro’s future boyfriend. And asked him out again, at that.

Maybe he could just play it off as a dude being interested in his bro’s relationship? He was invested, that’s why he was asking to meet up with Donghyuck again? And winky faces were a totally…. friendly thing to do. Very _bro_ -like. Mark hadn’t crossed the line so far that he couldn’t go back, right?

He shook his head. It definitely wasn’t cool to be crushing on his bro’s future boyfriend, and it was also pretty lame to be crushing on someone that he’d met less than 4 hours ago. He should really just delete the conversation and get on with his life.

✱

“Okay, okay, how’s this?” Donghyuck handed his phone over to Jaemin. He’d decided to enlist his and Renjun’s help after screwing up so immensely the first time. He had already typed out his message, to the contact clearly labelled as ‘Actually Lucas’.

Jaemin shrugged. “It lacks…” he floundered, mimicking explosions with his fingers, “... _pizzazz_. Zest. It’s kinda boring.”

Donghyuck snorted. “Yeah, well, I spent enough time regretting the pizzazz in the last message, so it’s gonna have to work.”

“What if it’s not the right number, though?” Renjun mused from his spot against Donghyuck’s headboard.

“It definitely is. I told you, Mark gave it to me, and they’re like, related.”

“Yeah, but what if he’s messing with you. I know you said he was super chill about it, but imagine spending your whole saturday on a date with someone who asked you out by accident. He showed up, so he probably wants to date, right? I’d totally give you a random number if I were him,” Renjun explained.

“Well, he’s not a little bitch like you are. And he came because he was curious. I probably would be, too, if I got a text like that, and I was in the area, you know? Plus I bought him food, so that evens everything out.” Donghyuck prayed that he hadn’t completely read Mark wrong and that Renjun wasn’t right. 

“I sent it.”

Donghyuck lunged to grab his phone from Jaemin’s hands. “What?! Already? You can’t just—”

He shrugged as Donghyuck frantically checked over his text for the millionth time, except this time it was sent rather than sitting in the text box. “I thought you were ready. And I didn’t want Renjun to convince you not to send it.”

Donghyuck collapsed onto his bed as Renjun cackled, feeling an odd mix of terror and relief. Almost immediately, his phone pinged.

He sat up in an instant, phone face down in his lap. Renjun raised an expectant eyebrow.

“It could just be my mom,” Donghyuck reasoned. There was no way Lucas, or whoever his text had made its way to, would respond so quickly, right?

Jaemin yawned. “Just look at it. It’s a text, you can panic all you’d like when you see it and no one will know.”

Donghyuck took a deep breath and peered at the screen.

_Hi Lucas! This is Donghyuck, from Chemistry.  
I really like you, so I wanted to ask if you’d  
want to go out sometime ;) Are you free  
this weekend?_

_Hi Donghyuck! This is super sweet of you, but I  
have a boyfriend. But if you’re okay with it we  
could meet up as friends?? You seem like  
a fun guy :)_

“Oh,” Donghyuck said, chest deflating. “I got the right number!”

Renjun frowned. “What’d he say?”

“He’s already dating someone. But he said we could still hang out sometime?” 

The words hung in the air, and Donghyuck kept his eyes on the phone screen to hide his disappointment. 

“At least he told you right away,” Renjun said after the uncomfortable pause.

Donghyuck wasn’t quite sure how to feel. It had only been a little crush, so he wasn’t completely devastated or anything, it just felt like it had been such a hassle getting to this point only for it to amount to nothing.

Jaemin frowned. “Didn’t you tell that Mark guy that you were asking Lucas out? Or he’d know, because you asked _him_ out—Why didn’t he tell you Lucas was already dating?”

Donghyuck slumped. “Maybe Lucas is just saying that, so I don’t feel bad.”

He opened up his chat with Mark, a bit of warm anger and hurt cutting through him.

_so lucas has a boyfriend_

_??_

“Ugh. Well, at least it’s over.” Donghyuck flopped back, and this time Jaemin joined him. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that Mark wouldn’t know about this boyfriend. No matter what Renjun thought, Mark had been nothing but genuine, and Donghyuck trusted him, somehow.

And now he felt bad because it was true that Mark showed up expecting a date, and Donghyuck had roped him into helping Donghyuck score one instead. It was a bit unfair, but Donghyuck figured the best way to make it up to him was to avoid wasting anymore of his time.

“Are you still gonna meet up with him?” Renjun asked, and Donghyuck blinked as his thoughts returned to the initial root of their current situation.

Donghyuck shrugged, opening the chat with Lucas easily now that the stress factor was gone. “Yeah? I just don’t want it to be awkward.”

“I feel like it won’t be. You said you guys get along, right?” Jaemin reasoned, knocking his knee into Donghyuck’s. 

“Yeah.” Donghyuck sighed. “It sounds shitty, but it’s not even him, you know? I just really wanted a cute boyfriend, and I guess I thought I had a chance.”

Jaemin’s chuckle made his shoulder dig into Donghyuck’s. “Come on, Lucas is not your only option ever. He’s too basic for you, anyway.”

Renjun snorted. “Yeah, never thought I’d see you chasing after the resident ‘it boy’.”

Donghyuck laughed with them. To be fair, he’d never thought he’d go after someone like Lucas either, but at least he’d tried. 

He responded to Lucas’ text, trying to seem chill, and they set up a meeting after school the next week. It was easier to be calm, and normal, when he wasn’t thinking of Lucas as a possible target to date, and he thought that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, just hanging out. While they’d been settling a time, Donghyuck noticed that Mark had replied.

_he has a boyfriend???_

_oh shit_

_:((((_

_i swear i didn’t know_

_it’s fine_

_we’re just gonna meet up as friends_

_that’s good!_

_i’m sorry you had to go through all that_

_me too lol_

_i honestly think im more upset that i spent so  
much time even trying to ask him out than the  
actual rejection if that makes any sense_

_i guess lucas does have a boyfriend_

_i just texted him to ask haha_

_he said it’s been like a month damn_

_i thought you guys were bros n all that_

_we are !!_

_we’ve both just been busy lately_

_sure sure ;)_

_im just glad he wasn’t lying about it to like  
make rejecting me easier or something_

_nah he wouldn’t do that_

_you didn’t even know about his boyfriend  
how can you be so sure_

_well let me know how it goes_

_lol you’re so invested_

_you did sacrifice a whole saturday towards it ig_

_haha yeah_

_but ok i’ll keep you updated_

_gn_

_good night donghyuck!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i wrote this a while back to practice writing dialogue (and to try out a new style/vibe) but i've come back to it recently to tie up the ending so i've decided to put it out there...
> 
> hope you enjoyed! next parts are on the way


	2. stuck picking three leaf clovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hullo !! hope everyone is having a good week :D
> 
> remember to give yourself some love today <3

Mark was embarrassed to find that Jaehyun’s friend—Yuta—was also working on Sunday afternoon when Mark returned to the Thinking Cup. Mark had suggested the place because he figured it would be more convenient for Lucas, as he lived in the area, and because the cafe that they normally met at was closed. 

Yuta raised an eyebrow at him as he made his drink, and Mark wondered how much Jaehyun told him. He settled at the same table he’d sat with Donghyuck at the day before, shaking his head when Yuta gave a hopeful expression from behind the counter.

It was mostly his fault that he and Lucas hadn’t caught up in a while. It was already hard keeping in touch when they went to different schools, and now Mark had basketball and was working on his university applications. He felt bad that he’d missed a whole _boyfriend_.

Lucas was easy to spot, being tall and unashamed to peer around the cafe, and Mark stood up and waved him over as soon as he entered. The other set his coat and bag in the booth, greeting Mark with a wide smile.

“Mark! It’s been way too long, man. How’s everything going?”

Mark laughed as Lucas gestured widely with his hands. “It’s good, it’s good. Nice to see you too. But, come on, you never told me you were dating!”

Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, we just, haven’t talked in a while, bro. Hold up, I’m gonna go get a drink and then we can catch up.”

Mark found that he was already in a better mood as he sat back down. He wondered if he should explain everything that happened with Donghyuck. Would it be awkward, since they were planning to meet up? 

He accidentally caught Yuta’s eye, surprised to find the other glaring at him. Yuta pointedly looked at Lucas standing in line, before leveling Mark with another rather judgemental look. Mark frowned and sent his brother a quick text.

_can you explain to yuta what’s going on so he  
stops glaring at me_

_whats going on_

_why are you with yuta ?_

_im at the cafe again_

_meeting with lucas to catch up_

_i think he thinks im cheating?? on donghyuck???_

_lmao you kinda are tho_

_???_

_im not???_

_donghyuck is the one crushing on lucas???_

_lol ill explain_

_hes totally rooting for you tho_

Mark tucked his phone away as Lucas returned to the table. “Sorry, just texting Jaehyun. His friend is working here right now, and they’re having a great time talking about me behind my back.”

Lucas grinned. “Oh, so that’s why he was giving me weird looks.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Mark said with a chuckle. He waved a hand. “But, more importantly: you have a boyfriend?.”

Lucas looked down at the table, a softer smile coming over his face. “Yeah, that, well, his name is Ten. We met maybe… three months ago, now? But we’ve only been dating for a month now.”

“Three months?? And you never thought to, I don’t know, tell me about him?”

“It’s not just you! We’ve been keeping it quiet, just because, you know, it’s weird when everyone is paying attention to who you’re with and all that. We kind of just wanted some time just for us, if that makes sense?”

Mark dropped his head onto the table. That was such a not-Lucas move. “Ugh, that’s really sweet. So you really like him, then?”

“Yeah. Like actually. Dude, you have to meet him sometime. He seems kinda quiet at first. But he’s so funny, and he has the cutest laugh and he’s also pretty weird? But, like, a _me_ kind of weird, you know?”

Mark nodded. “I just don’t get how you found someone who’s a _you_ kind of weird. You’re kind of insane sometimes. But we should all hang out sometime, he sounds cool. I just can’t believe you were never planning on telling me about him.”

Lucas held up his hands, eyes wide. “I was! Seriously! But, wait, I was gonna ask you, why did you ask about a boyfriend in the first place? Did you hear about him, somehow?”

“Oh,” Mark said dumbly. Fuck, he hadn’t really thought about that when he’d texted him last night. “Well, it’s kind of a long story, but I heard that there was a possibility of you maybe having a boyfriend? So I just texted you to check.”

“How’d you hear, though?”

Mark chuckled nervously. He’d never been good at lying, especially not to his best friends, so he might as well just tell the whole story. “Well, basically there was this guy from your school who wanted to ask you out, right?”

He paused, wondering how he should go about explaining the wrong number situation without exposing himself or revealing something that Donghyuck wasn’t comfortable with.

Lucas blinked. “Donghyuck? Do you know him?”

Mark shook his head. “No, no, let me explain. Okay, so Donghyuck was trying to text you, to ask you out, but he had the wrong number, so he ended up texting me? And, like, he didn’t really clarify who he was confessing to, so I saw his text to meet up and, I don’t know, it seems stupid now, but I thought maybe someone was trying to ask _me_ out, so I showed up at the place at the time he said and we ended up getting lunch together and he was super embarrassed that he texted the wrong number and yeah. Does that make sense?”

Lucas stared at him. “So, you went on a date with Donghyuck, who was trying to go on a date with me?”

“Yeah, pretty much. And we ended up talking for a while and I gave him your actual number, because he’s a really nice guy and I felt bad that his plans got messed up. But then after he texted you, like actually you, he was like, ‘why didn’t you tell me he has a boyfriend’ and I was like, what? A boyfriend?” Mark trailed off. “Yeah, that’s basically it.”

“Huh.” Lucas leaned back in the booth. “Dude, that’s so crazy. What are the chances of him texting _you_?”

“I know, right! We were so shocked when we figured it out.”

“Okay but why did you show up? He could’ve been, like, the mafia or something.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “Come on, his original text was like a little confession, and I just wanted some adventure in my life.”

Lucas snorted and waggled his eyebrows. “No, you’re just desperate for _love_.”

“Fuck off.” Mark hated that he was right. He cursed himself for blushing.

“Shit, you like him, don’t you,” Lucas exclaimed. 

Mark let his head fall into his hands. “No.”

“Dude, you were blushing the whole time you told that story. How long did you guys even hang out?”

Mark refused to look up from the table, but he could feel how red his ears were. “We ended up talking for, like, two hours, I think. I had practice.”

Lucas burst out laughing, and Mark did not appreciate the way he was treating this so lightly. “Bro, you totally like him. He probably likes you too! Two hours is, like, a while to hang out in a cafe, especially with a stranger.”

Mark finally met Lucas’ gaze, palms pressed into his cheeks. “But he likes you.”

Lucas shrugged. “I don’t know, I don’t think it’s that deep. Trust me, I have seen people who are actually like, in love with me and I have seen people who have little crushes and just want to shoot their shot because we’re in high school and why not. Plus, I’m taken.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you, those are people’s actual feelings, you know. You can’t just assume that you understand them.”

“Okay, you’re right. But with Donghyuck, wouldn’t it be good for you to go for it? You’re a great guy, Mark, and you guys obviously clicked yesterday,” Lucas explained, face serious. 

Mark slouched over. He didn’t know how to tell Lucas that there was no way he could measure up to him. 

“Maybe I can, like, put in a good word for you when we hang out.” Lucas waggled his eyebrows, steering them away from the darkening mood.

“Oh my god, no, you can’t expose me,” Mark pleaded.

“No, no nothing super obvious, just, like, me appreciating my best bro Mark Lee. I’d probably do it anyway, but this time I can, like, plant the seed,” Lucas proposed with a sly smile. He sounded quite proud of himself. 

“Fine, do whatever you want, I don’t care anymore. Just, don’t make it super obvious?”

Lucas grinned, and Mark was a bit afraid. “Of course, man. I’m the master of subtlety, don’t even worry about it.”

✱

Donghyuck was trying very, very hard not to worry about his hang out with Lucas. They’d had Chem in the morning, and the other had seemed very chill about dropping a ‘see you after school!’ that Donghyuck proceeded to panic about until lunch. Renjun and Jaemin had been mildly helpful, reminding him that there was no pressure to be anything but himself anymore, as he no longer had any sort of objective, but as he waited for Lucas to emerge from the school, the nerves fluttering in his stomach had returned.

He had been awkward in Chem, as well, but Lucas hadn’t commented on it if he’d noticed. 

What was the worst that could happen? 

Lucas waved at him from the main entrance just as his mind began producing all of the humiliating scenarios that could occur within the next hour. He immediately wiped them away, reminding himself that while he’d never been lucky in the dating department, he’d always done well socially. 

He forced himself to focus on the fact that Lucas was no longer a crush, or any kind of love-interest, just a guy who he was friends with. He remembered Mark’s reassurances that Lucas really was a nice guy, and that it would be difficult to actually mess things up with him.

“Hey, Donghyuck!” Lucas greeted him with a wide smile.

“Hi, Lucas!” Donghyuck tried to match the other’s brightness. “We still good to go to Thinking Cup?”

“Yeah, it’s just up the street, right?” 

Donghyuck nodded, and they headed towards the cafe. They chatted lightly on the way, even though it got a bit awkward at times. Donghyuck realized that he didn’t really know that much about Lucas, and that they were part of very different social circles. 

They’d been keeping up small talk for about a half an hour when Lucas brought up the whole texting incident.

“I heard about the whole wrong number thing,” he said with a chuckle. “I met up with Mark the other day, and he explained what happened. I can’t believe you ended up texting _him_ , of all people.”

Donghyuck did his best to stop himself from melting into the floor in embarrassment. “I bet whoever gave me the number in the first place knew both of you, or something.”

“That could be it. Thanks, by the way, for not making this super awkward. I know I should probably say something about my boyfriend, what with everyone at school and all, but we really just want to keep it quiet for a bit. But, I’m happy that we’re friends! A lot of people who’ve asked me out either get really angry or just avoid me, so, thanks, in a weird way.”

Donghyuck was taken aback. Jeez, this guy really was nice. But it was also surprisingly easy to start thinking about Lucas as a friend rather than a crush. As they’d been hanging out, Donghyuck realized that while they definitely got along, he didn’t feel quite as natural with the other as he felt he should. And Lucas seemed to be holding a bit of himself back, as well.

Especially after meeting Mark, Donghyuck couldn’t help but feel that the conversation now was a bit stilted. 

“I don’t see the point in getting all hung up on it. There’s not much I can do if you have a boyfriend, is there?” Donghyuck hoped he didn’t sound too pathetic. “But, I did go through quite the ordeal to ask you, so I’m glad you offered to meet up, at least.”

Lucas chuckled. “I just can’t believe Mark showed up.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Apparently someone in the cafe kept an eye on him, but still.”

It was odd that the only common ground they’d found was through Mark, and Donghyuck wasn’t sure if he should try to change the topic or not.

“Yeah, he does a lot of dumb things like that. Always thinks the best of people,” Lucas mused. 

Donghyuck wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. “He said you guys met when you first moved here?”

Lucas nodded. “Yeah! We’re related somehow, I just say we’re cousins but I really have no idea, and him and his parents were the only people we knew when we moved here when my dad got transferred. His brother’s pretty cool, too.”

“Oh, yeah, he mentioned him. Jaehyun, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve actually known him longer than I’ve known Mark, since he stayed a summer with us in Hong Kong, but he was super busy when I moved here so I didn’t hang out with him that much. I’m lucky Mark doesn’t have much of a social life,” Lucas explained with a snicker.

Considering Lucas’ entourage of friends and followers, Donghyuck wasn’t sure what his standard for a social life was. If Mark’s was lame, he didn’t want to think about what Lucas would think of his.

“I thought Mark did a lot of stuff though? Like, basketball and music and all that.”

“He does! Yeah, Mark does like, everything he can possibly fit into his schedule, but he’s just like, really hard working and he’s got lots of friends, I guess, but not that many close ones, if you know what I mean. So after club activities are done for the day he’s never busy.” Lucas frowned into his drink and muttered under his breath. “I’m not supposed to be saying stuff like that.”

“What?” 

“Oh, nothing. Mark’s a super great guy. He’s good at like, everything. Seriously, it’s kind of terrible being his friend because it makes me feel like a total failure sometimes. He’s just kind of awkward sometimes. Not like, actually though!” 

Donghyuck wasn’t quite sure why Lucas seemed so defensive of Mark. He’d only met him once, and he probably wasn’t ever going to see him again. He felt oddly grateful when the ringing of Lucas’ phone interrupted them, relaxing in his seat and peering out the windows.

He glanced down at his phone to see that it had nearly been an hour, and that Lucas would probably have to go. He had several texts from Jaemin, right above his chat with Mark.

“Okay, see you in a few!” Lucas hung up and sent Donghyuck an apologetic look. “Hey, I’ve gotta take off, but see you in Chem! And I’ll tell Mark you say hi!”

Donghyuck watched him go, feeling oddly relieved that he could go home. He’d hoped hanging out with Lucas would stop things from being too awkward, but now they were in a weird spot of being almost friends, which was even weirder because Donghyuck couldn’t forget the fact that he’d asked him out.

He shook his head and stood up to leave. It was probably a good thing that Lucas had said no. Yes, he was ridiculously attractive and probably one of the nicest people Donghyuck had ever met, but he really just wasn’t feeling it.

✱

Mark was at Chenle’s when Donghyuck texted him, hanging out with him and Jeno on his day off from practice. Chenle had been the one to see his phone light up with the notification, and had immediately started cackling and attempting to break into Mark’s phone.

“Wow, it hasn’t even been that long since school got out. You think they’re done already?” Jeno wondered as Mark wrestled for control of his phone. 

Chenle and Jeno were probably as invested as Mark was, by now. He hadn’t stopped talking about Donghyuck all week, and after trying to get him to shut up for a good hour the night of the not-date they’d finally started engaging. They weren’t even very helpful, but Mark needed some outlet for all of the wild hopes and dreamy scenarios buzzing in his head. 

He finally clicked through the messages after kicking Chenle onto the floor, face going serious.

_so i just got home from meeting up with lucas_

_!!_

_how was it?_

_it went okay ig_

_just okay?_

_yeah idk_

_hes really nice and all but i guess we just  
didn’t click??_

_which is probably good tbh_

_:(_

_at least this whole thing has finally come to an end lol_

_thanks for supporting me!!!_

Mark panicked and looked at Jeno , who was reading over his shoulder. He really hated the idea of an end, but he didn’t know what he should say in response. Usually it would be best to be direct about his feelings—put everything out on the table so there’d be no regrets, but wouldn’t that be insensitive? Donghyuck probably wasn’t feeling that great, and he probably didn’t want Mark, the guy who he’d thought was behind him, throwing himself at him.

“You gotta say something,” Jeno said, which Mark found extremely helpful.

Chenle clambered onto the bed. “What happened?”

“He said the date went okay and that he was like happy that everything came to an end and thanked me for supporting him? Does that mean we’re done talking? Does he want me to be like bye? Or is he waiting for me to be like oh maybe we should be friends? But, like, I don’t want to be friends, I want to ask him out?” Mark rambled, really just wanting Donghyuck to text something else so Mark could know what he wanted.

“Just ask him out then.” Chenle rolled his eyes and flopped back, draping his feet over Mark’s lap.

“I can’t just ask him out! I’m the reason he got rejected! Well, I’m the reason he confessed, which is why he got rejected, because if he had never told Lucas that-”

“Mark, shut up and text the guy back before he deletes your number.”

Mark stared at Chenle in horror. “He wouldn’t delete my number, would he? I mean, I know I came on strong but I wasn’t like, completely over—”

“Just text him something, so that he knows that you’re still interested in talking to him at least,” Jeno explained.

“But what am I supposed to say? It’ll either be like, me begging him not to leave or me being like oh it was nice knowing you bye forever.” Mark let his head fall back and thud into the wall behind him. “Oh god it’s been 2 minutes he’s probably not even paying attention anymore.”

“Oh my god, Mark, just—” Chenle pulled his phone from his hands and typed out a message, ignoring both Mark and Jeno’s panicked stares. He placed the phone back in Mark’s trembling fingers with a pointed look. “There you go. Now can you chill out?”

_it was my pleasure :)_

Jeno snorted.

“What—That’s not—” Mark stuttered.

“He’s not wrong,” Jeno said with a grin.

“No, but, that—that’s something that, like, a middle aged man would say! And why would you put a smiley after? That just makes it creepy!”

Jeno shook his head. “Mark, I hate to tell you this, but that message is literally you. Haven’t you texted that before?”

Chenle giggled. “Mark you are a middle aged man. Just be grateful that I didn’t put a winky face.”

“His dumbass already used the winky face.” Jeno smirked.

Mark groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Well, what’s done is done. Do you guys really think I even have a chance?”

“Totally,” Jeno said immediately. “You guys are totally gonna have another meeting by chance and realize that it’s like, fate or something.”

Mark ignored the flutter in his chest at the words. He’d always dreamed of a fated romance, especially with someone like Donghyuck, but he couldn’t afford to get his hopes up again. “Life isn’t always like the movies, Jeno.”

His friends must have sensed the change in tone, because their faces went thoughtful.

“Mark, seriously, you should ask him out,” Chenle suggested. “Like, worst case scenario he’s flattered but says no, best case scenario you get your fated romance or whatever.”

“I’m pretty sure Mark is physically incapable of hitting on someone,” Jeno explained, as if he was. Mark scoffed.

“What if I just text something from—”

“No!” Mark stood up, phone clutched tight in his fingers. “We are not texting him anything until he responds.”

“But what if he never responds?”

“Well, then I guess it just wasn’t meant to be." Mark felt his gut twist as he said the words, but he knew it would be best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear the next chapter gets better.....


	3. can't miss this chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're having a good week ^^
> 
> this is just straight up dialogue

“Order for ‘Haechan’!” 

Renjun rolled his eyes as Donghyuck reached to grab their drinks. They’d chosen a table right next to the counter, so he really just had to lean over the back of his chair, but he still managed to slosh some of Jaemin’s revolting espresso soup onto the table.

“I can’t believe you still make people call you that,” Jaemin said, clicking his tongue as he wiped the mess off the table. 

“I don’t understand why you guys don’t,” Donghyuck replied. “I’m literally the light of your life.”

Renjun scoffed. “You’re a nightmare.”

Donghyuck gasped, bringing a hand over his heart. “I—”

“Donghyuck, I have known you since we were in diapers,” Jaemin interrupted with a shake of his head. “The only people you can trick into calling you that are the goddamn baristas.”

“And that’s their job,” Renjun tacked on.

Donghyuck stared at them, wishing he’d let more of their drinks spill. Maybe he should’ve just dropped them completely. “I see you two are feeling the warm and fuzzies today.”

Renjun grinned. “That’s what friends are for.”

“Oh, before I forget, I can’t make it next week. It’s Jisung’s birthday,” Jaemin explained, sipping his americano.

Donghyuck scoffed. “And he wants to spend it with you?”

Jaemin rolled his eyes. “Of course. I’m the best at birthdays.”

Renjun met Donghyuck’s eyes. “Weird. Must only apply to siblings, my birthday was an absolute shitshow.”

Donghyuck chuckled into his straw, remembering the failed attempt at a surprise birthday party. They’d somehow managed to acquire a speeding ticket and scorch Renjun’s cabinets after setting a roll of paper towels on fire, all within the span of an hour. 

Jaemin tried to hide his smile by looking down at the table, obviously remembering the same thing. “It wasn’t a _shitshow_ , persay. Just, spontaneous. You certainly won’t forget it.”

“Yes, there will always be burn marks on my kitchen cabinets and my mother will always remind me that it was my fault,” Renjun deadpanned. “What more could I want from a party?”

“Well,” Donghyuck started, looking up thoughtfully. “We could have—”

“Oh my god, don’t even finish that sentence, I have almost a year until I have to start worrying about what you’ll do to me next time,” Renjun groaned. “And I’m already stressed today.”

Jaemin raised an eyebrow. “Oh, are you now? I wonder why…”

Renjun glared at him, and Donghyuck knew they were in on something. He frowned and levelled Renjun with an expectant but already disappointed look. “Care to share?”

Renjun’s smile was tight, a sign that he was actually nervous. “I have a date? Tonight? I think, at least. It might just be like, a regular hangout, you know?”

“Renjun!!” Donghyuck screeched. “You're nervous, it’s totally a date. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Renjun shrugged. “I don’t know, like I said it might not even be a date-date.”

Donghyuck scoffed. “Lies. If you’re this nervous it’s definitely a date. So I’m not accepting that as an excuse. And Jaemin totally knows, why would you go to _Jaemin_ for advice instead of _me_?”

Renjun rolled his eyes. “Hyuck, you set two goals at the beginning of senior year. You wanted to get a boyfriend and to get into college. And as far as I know, you have accomplished neither of these. I mean you submitted your applications, but, yikes, not the best person to be taking tips from.”

Jaemin wheezed. “Jeez, a little harsh?”

Donghyuck could only stare at the person he’d thought was his best friend, mouth hanging open. “Okay, you’re the one actually stressing here. I’ll have you know that I have extensive experience with first dates, and am well on my way to cracking the code to unlock future ones. And I thought we agreed to never talk about college again?”

“I know, I know, I really meant to tell you earlier, I just forgot, okay?” Renjun tried to look sincere over his laughter. Donghyuck found it rather condescending.

“He also felt bad talking about a possible date with you because none of yours work out and he didn’t want to rub it in your face,” Jaemin added, smirking.

“How considerate.” Donghyuck flattened his mouth, only making Jaemin’s shoulders shake as he tried to hold in a laugh. Donghyuck really needed new friends. “It’s not my fault. I just, happen to go on dates with the wrong people.”

Renjun snorted. “Literally. Remember wrong number dude?”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Yes, I remember Mark, and no, he is not Lucas. Are you ever going to let that go?”

His friends made fun of him the most for it, but Donghyuck would be feeling a lot better if all of his failed dates had ended up like his lunch with Mark. It was probably a bad thing, that he’d met Mark first, because he hadn’t quite clicked with anyone else the same way. He almost wished that Mark had been his actual date in the first place, but there was no use in dwelling on missed chances. 

Donghyuck had considered reaching out again, because he was becoming all too aware that people like Mark were hard to find, but he didn’t want to take up any more of the poor guy’s time than he already had. He still felt bad about the whole ordeal, and there was a persistent twist of embarrassment in his stomach when he thought about it because he’d managed to text some _random guy_ and demand a date. Mark probably thought he was a mess.

“No, but seriously, what are you going to do if Renjun gets a boyfriend too?”

Donghyuck gaped at Jaemin. “Can you chill? He literally said it might not even be an actual date. I bet by the time they actually figure it out I’ll already have something new set up.”

Renjun collapsed into a fit of laughter, pointing vaguely at something behind Donghyuck’s shoulder. “Hyuck, oh my god, even the coffee guy thinks you’re hopeless.”

“What?” Donghyuck craned his neck to peer behind him, finding one of the employees hiding a smile as he rinsed a carafe. He hadn’t realized it was possible to feel so betrayed by a random stranger.

“He totally just winced at what you said,” Jaemin said through his smile. “Especially the bit about having something new set up, even _he_ knows it’s nonsense.”

Donghyuck’s chair scraped loudly against the floor as he turned it to face the counter behind him more easily. The barista looked up at the sound, and Donghyuck caught his gaze with narrowed eyes.

The guy shrugged, not even having the decency to hide that he’d been listening in. “I’ve seen you in here a lot. Haechan, right?”

The nickname only made him feel a tiny bit better. “Yeah.”

The barista grinned and stuck out a hand. “I’m Yuta. Your friends are right about you having shit luck with dates.”

Donghyuck huffed, refusing the handshake to look and Renjun and Jaemin incredulously. Weren’t employees supposed to be polite? Customer comes first and all that?

The guy, Yuta, just laughed at his reaction. Donghyuck thought it was a bit too hearty of a laugh for someone making fun of his dating life.

“No, you just need the right guy, you know?” Yuta continued, grin only brightening at Donghyuck’s darkening expression. “I know someone, around your age I think. I could have him meet you here. Trust me, he’s better than everything else you’ve dragged in here.”

Donghyuck was sure there was an insult there, but his brain was already caught on the proposal. He’d never been on a blind date, and he had good reason to be wary of them. His not-blind dates had been bad enough, and this Yuta guy seemed a bit suspicious. There was something knowing in his eyes, masked by a full smile and a warm laugh. 

“I’ll put whatever you order on the house,” Yuta added.

“Oh my god, Hyuck, go for it,” Renjun cut in. “The bagels here are to die for, get me some while you’re here.”

Donghyuck raised a challenging eyebrow at Yuta. 

He shrugged. “I said what I said.”

Donghyuck nodded before he could think on it anymore. With all of the failed dates behind him, this one couldn’t be any worse. And free food was free food. “Alright. How do I know when to show up?”

Yuta grinned, this time with the teeth of a shark. “Saturday, noon on the dot. See you then!”

Donghyuck turned back around in his chair, taking a dubious sip of his drink. 

What had he just gotten himself into?

✱

The bell jingled over Mark’s head as he entered the Thinking Cup café. He’d gotten quite familiar with the place over the past few months, especially once Yuta had started giving him the employee discount. It was a bit out of the way, but the walk always gave Mark time to clear his head, and he never had to worry about running into people from his school.

He’d met up with Lucas there for a while, but for some reason, Yuta really didn’t like Lucas, and they’d found another shop after one too many messed up drinks and persistent glares. But Mark was fine when he went alone, and today he was there on Yuta’s request.

He took his place in line, spotting Yuta’s back behind the counter. Someone else was at the register, but they recognized Mark and tapped on Yuta’s shoulder to trade places. Yuta wiggled his eyebrows and grinned at Mark as he entered Mark’s order, which was honestly very intimidating.

“Excited?” Yuta smirked as he took Mark’s card.

“What?”

“You’re ten minutes early, Mark. Very eager, it seems.”

Mark flushed. “You said I should get here early? So I could beat the other guy?”

Yuta sighed, handing Mark his card with a pained expression. “I didn’t mean a whole _ten minutes_. Now you’ll be sitting all by yourself until he shows up.”

All of the butterflies that Mark had worked so hard to calm whirled in his stomach with newfound vigor. He’d thought ten minutes was a reasonably early time? And if he’d run into anything on the way, he still would’ve made it. 

His panic must have worked its way over his face by the time Yuta prepared his drink, because Yuta immediately slipped out from behind the counter and put an arm around Mark’s shoulders.

“Don’t freak out, I was kidding. Come on, let’s get a good table,” he said, pulling Mark towards the booths along the wall.

Mark frowned. “I know how to find a table. I’m not that hopeless.”

“No, but it has to be the _right_ table.” 

“What do you mean, the _right_ table?” Mark questioned, even as he slid into a seat. “They’re all just tables.”

Yuta scoffed. “Yes, but I can see this one perfectly from behind the counter.”

“Oh my god.” Mark dropped his head into his hands, knowing there was no point in arguing. “Can you at least be subtle?”

“It’s only natural that I’m interested,” he protested. “I did set you guys up, after all.”

Mark lifted his head to glance at the door. The bell jingled as someone entered, and Mark’s stomach twisted. “What did you say his name was? Haechan?”

Yuta hummed in affirmation. “Haechan it is.”

He sounded oddly proud of himself, and when Mark met his eyes there was something expectant in them. As if Mark knew someone named _Haechan_. 

Mark turned back to the door. He’d definitely remember a name like that. 

“Well, I’d better get back,” Yuta said as he stood. “Good luck! And I’ll have my eye on you, so I’ve got you in a pinch, alright?”

Mark nodded, taking a sip of his drink. He accidentally made eye contact with a young woman walking in the door, so he decided to stare at the empty booth across from him instead.

Haechan.

Mark reached for his phone, instinctively opening his chat with Jeno.

_dude maybe i shouldn’t do this_

_??_

_what are you doing_

_waiting for my date_

_the blind date_

_that yuta set up_

_oh my god what if he’s super weird_

_what if he thinks IM super weird_

_noo yuta wouldn’t do that_

_i think?_

_and you ARE super weird!! in a nice way :D_

_wow thanks_

_i just_

_idk im just sitting here bc i guess i came way  
too early and its really awkward ugh_

_but aren’t all dates low key awkward at first_

_noo this is different_

_it just feels off_

_is this about donghyuck_

_bc i agree that you guys were probably very cute  
and fated and all that_

_no_

_bUT i thought we agreed that you were gonna try  
this out until fate does her thing and gets you  
guys back together_

_jen im literally about to be on a date w_  
_someone else who isn’t donghyuck can_  
_we pls not_

_we’ll probably never even see each other  
again its fine_

Mark tucked his phone away with a sigh. It’d be super awkward to miss the guy’s entrance because he was too busy texting about the guy he was trying to forget.

He was kind of mad that Jeno had brought up Donghyuck, though. It didn’t matter if it was about Mark’s stupid attachment or not, now he’d probably be an even worse date for this Haechan guy.

The bell jingled, and Mark looked up on instinct. The line had gotten longer since he’d last checked, and a new cashier had come out to try to speed things up. Mark was glad to see that Yuta was very much occupied and not watching Mark fidget in his seat.

Mark skimmed the line, wondering what a Haechan might look like.

And then he did a double take. Donghyuck was at the end of the line, in ripped skinny jeans and a black leather jacket. The same Donghyuck that Mark had been trying to forget for the last few months, the same Donghyuck that Mark had been waiting to run into since their first chance meeting.

Mark scooted into the wall, curling over the table. He kind of wanted to cry.

It’d be super rude to make a move on Donghyuck when he was supposed to be meeting with Haechan. But also it was _Donghyuck_. And blind dates always meant low hopes, so Haechan would probably be okay about it. 

But he also couldn’t take this lightly. Fate had finally given him a chance, and he was not going to waste it on a half-assed hello and an awkward I-sort-of-know-you exchange of smiles that resulted in never speaking again.

He closed his eyes and sent a mental apology to Haechan before running through possible scenarios. He’d rather not spill anything on either of them, or provoke any sort of collision, but he noted it as a last resort. 

Mark peeked out at the line. Donghyuck was rapidly approaching the register. Mark supposed he could pretend something was wrong with his drink, and pray Yuta would play along if he visited the counter right when Donghyuck was paying. And then if Donghyuck didn’t notice him (would he even remember?), Mark could always act surprised to notice Donghyuck to catch his attention.

But would Yuta play along? He had set Mark up with this Haechan, after all. Mark really hoped he wouldn’t be too mad that Mark went after someone else. He rather enjoyed his employee discount, and he personally found Yuta quite terrifying when angry.

Although everything would fall apart if Donghyuck didn’t remember. Or remembered but wasn’t really as hung up on it as Mark was. God, what if he had a boyfriend?

Mark ran his fingers through his hair, letting his head fall into his palms. Maybe he should just take his chances with Yuta’s guy. Maybe Jeno was right, maybe someday fate would get her shit together and give him the spontaneous Donghyuck romance of his dreams. Maybe they weren’t meant to meet today.

But what if they were?

Mark jumped when someone slid into the booth across from him. The ice rattled in his half-empty plastic cup.

“Shit, sorry, I totally didn’t see you there—Wait, Mark?”

Mark blinked.

Donghyuck sat across from him, an incredulous smile working its way across his mouth.

“Donghyuck,” Mark responded intelligently, still pressed into the wall.

“Wow, it’s been a while!” Donghyuck scooted further into the booth. “I can’t believe this happened again.”

Mark scrambled to sit up straight, nearly knocking over his drink in the process. “Yeah, this is, wow.”

Donghyuck’s smile froze. “Wait, you’re not like, busy, right? Did I steal someone’s spot?”

“No, no, I’m not busy at all, haha. I’m just, really surprised right now,” Mark responded with a laugh. He was trying very hard to keep the panic out of his voice and exclusively in his stomach.

“Oh, okay, good.” Donghyuck laughed. “Yeah, sorry to jump in on you like that, I totally didn’t see you. I must’ve gotten the wrong table.”

Mark frowned. “Wrong table?”

“Oh, I’m supposed to be meeting someone,” he explained with a grin. “Taking my chances on a blind date. The guy at the register set me up, but he said my date must’ve run to the bathroom or something.”

Mark stared at him. He hoped he didn’t have steam coming out of his ears, because the cogs in his brain were working at maximum capacity.

Donghyuck leaned over to peer into the surrounding booths. “They’re all empty, though, so he must still be gone. Hope he didn’t chicken out.”

Mark nodded dumbly. 

“Anyway, how have you been? What brings you to the Thinking Cup café this Saturday?”

Mark really had no idea what to say. Could Donghyuck really be— 

“Order for Haechan!”

Mark whipped around to peer at the cluster of people waiting for their drinks. A bunch had given up and sat at nearby tables. No one stood up at the name.

“Oh, that’s me!” Donghyuck—Haechan?—grinned. “One sec.”

Mark watched him get up and head to the counter. Donghyuck was Haechan. Haechan was Mark’s blind date. _Donghyuck_ was Mark’s blind date.

The butterflies fluttered in his stomach once again, but they carried an air of excitement on their backs, and a smile pulled at Mark’s lips. 

Fate had really outdone herself.

✱

Donghyuck tried to catch Yuta’s eyes when he retrieved his drink, but the poor guy seemed very overwhelmed by the sudden surge of customers and was aggressively frothing a jug of milk. Donghyuck pursed his lips and grabbed the paper bag with his name tacked on the side. He hoped Renjun was right about the bagels; he’d gotten enough to last a week.

When he turned away from the counter, the booths were still empty. But Mark was there, and Donghyuck couldn’t help but be happy about it. If their last time here was anything to go by, hanging out with Mark for a while was probably better than a blind date, anyway.

Donghyuck was certain that whoever his date was _had_ showed up, because Yuta had looked genuinely confused at the lack of occupants in the three booths along the back wall. At least the guy left before getting a chance to meet Donghyuck, so Donghyuck wouldn’t have to be the _bad date_ from a bad date. 

Mark stared at him as he sat back down. Donghyuck hoped he wasn’t just being polite when he said he wasn’t busy, because Donghyuck really didn’t feel like sitting alone while he waited. 

“Still not here,” Donghyuck remarked. There was an air of awkwardness creeping over them, and he was determined to keep it at bay.

Mark nodded slowly, eyes oddly wide. “Well, I’m here. At least.”

Donghyuck grinned. “Yes, I can see that. This seems to be our theme, though: chance meetings in the Thinking Cup café.”

Mark giggled, and Donghyuck was glad to see that he was starting to untense. He wasn’t even sure when he’d noticed the other’s pinched shoulders and tight fingers fidgeting with his drink.

Donghyuck wracked his brain for what they’d talked about last time, something they could talk about while he waited. “So, uh, how’s life? What have you been up to beyond bumping into strangers in cafes?”

Mark laughed, and his eyes finally relaxed from the cornered stare he’d been giving Donghyuck since he first sat down. 

“Just the usual, for me. School, practice.” He shrugged. “Been looking forward to break, but I don’t have any plans.”

Donghyuck hummed. “You play basketball, right?”

“Woah, you remember!” Mark blinked. “Yeah, we’re kicking off the season soon. My last season, I guess.”

Donghyuck hummed. “Yeah. Senior year, and all that. And we’re already over halfway through.”

Mark nodded. “It’s crazy how time flies. What about you, do you have plans over break?”

“Nope,” Donghyuck replied, attempting to fit the entirety of his dissatisfaction into the single syllable. “Probably why I ended up on a blind date on a Saturday. I want some excitement in my life.”

He wiggled his eyebrows, but there was a slight sinking feeling in his chest. He gave the cafe another once-over. It was actually Yuta’s fault, he supposed, since he’d set Donghyuck up with someone obviously unwilling to meet him. It still sucked.

Someone emerged from the men’s restroom and joined a table of three, and Donghyuck let his chin fall into his hands. “I definitely got stood up.”

Mark choked on his drink, eyes impossibly wide. Donghyuck quirked an eyebrow as he coughed into his fist, cheeks flushing.

“You good?” Donghyuck asked. 

“Yeah, I’m—” The words were cut off by another fit of coughing. Donghyuck would’ve laughed if the poor guy didn’t look so terrified, hacking into his fist and clutching the table with his free hand. 

“M’fine,” he finished. The words were low and raspy in the aftermath.

Donghyuck watched him attempt a careful sip from his straw, raising an eyebrow at the exaggerated swallow. Mark giggled at his pointed look.

“I’m fine, dude, seriously,” he reassured through his laughs. The sound was infectious, and Donghyuck felt himself grinning in response. He probably would’ve ended up chuckling as well had Mark’s face not sobered, lips tightening and eyes skirting away from Donghyuck’s.

“You didn’t get stood up.”

Donghyuck stared at him for a moment. His date was pretty obviously not-there, indicating that Donghyuck was, in fact, stood up.

Mark’s eyes flitted over his face. “I’m your date, I think.”

“You think?” Donghyuck blinked. “Wait, what?”

Mark exhaled a sound too tense to be a laugh. “Yuta set me up too, with someone named Haechan.” He gestured lamely towards Donghyuck’s drink. “You’re Haechan. I think. Or you took his drink. Which isn’t very nice. It would also make this super awkward, so.”

For a moment, Donghyuck was completely thrown for a loop. If Mark was his date, it meant that he wasn’t stood up, which was positive. It also meant that cute, friendly Mark was his date, and not a random guy he was chatting up in a café. Which, he supposed, was also a positive, because Mark was cute and friendly and they got along super well and Donghyuck _might_ have spent all of his dates comparing people to Mark.

“Oh my god,” Donghyuck breathed.

“I mean, it’s already pretty awkward, isn’t it, ha.”

“Okay, this is honestly impressive,” Donghyuck cut in once his brain caught up.

Mark looked at him blankly, chewing on his bottom lip. He still looked terrified.

“Like, this is exactly what happened last time,” Donghyuck explained. “But, opposite? Because last time I was trying to meet Lucas, and I messed up and met _you_ instead, and this time I was supposed to meet you, but I _thought_ I was supposed to meet someone else, so I didn’t meet you, like, properly.”

Mark peered at him dubiously. “Uh, yeah?”

Donghyuck breathed another laugh. “Wow, this is the wildest date I’ve ever been on.”

Mark visibly shrunk in on himself. “I’m sorry, Yuta saw us last time and I guess he wanted to, you know, get us together. Or something. I should’ve known he’d do something like this.”

“No, I mean that in the best way possible,” Donghyuck rushed to clarify. “It’s gotta mean something that we ended up here again.”

That coaxed a smile out of Mark. “Must be, like, fate.”

“I did sort of ask Yuta to set it up, though.” Donghyuck supposed it made a lot more sense now that he knew Yuta was friends with Mark, or at least knew him somehow.

“You, you asked Yuta to,” Mark gestured wildly between himself and Donghyuck, “with m—”

“Ah, I was just complaining about going into break without a boyfriend, and I’m pretty sure he’s witnessed a lot of my, ah, attempts at dating, so he just offered to set me up with someone. He just said they’d be better than all of my other dates,” Donghyuck explained. He gave Mark a pointed look. “I mean, he wasn’t wrong.”

Mark’s face lit up before he tipped his head forward, eyebrows climbing into his bangs. “I’m glad.”

Donghyuck found that his eyes were drawn to the blush on Mark's cheeks, on the way he shook his head a little to ruffle his hair. 

The cafe bustled around them, a sea of muddled conversations and people coming and going, the occasional whir of the blender and clanging of the register. Donghyuck took a sip of his large milky way latte with an extra caramel shot and double chocolate drizzle, which he had ordered purely because he wasn’t paying for it. It didn’t even taste like coffee, and he had to stop himself from drinking it all down in one go.

“So, is your name actually Haechan, or something?”

“Oh, no, but everyone calls me that,” Donghyuck explained, ignoring his brain’s reminders of his traitorous friends. “Donghyuck is also fine, though.”

“Oh, good, because I had your contact in my phone as ‘Donghyuck’ so now you’re like, ‘Donghyuck’ in my head and not ‘Haechan’,” Mark explained with a laugh.

“What, does Haechan not suit me?”

Mark blinked back at him. “No, it does, seriously, I just can’t see myself calling you that, y’know?”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Well, I changed my mind, you have to call me Haechan now.”

Mark’s laugh sputtered out when Donghyuck’s face remained serious. “Wait, seriously?”

“Completely.” Donghyuck figured that if he waited any longer, he’d never get the nickname to stick. 

Mark nodded and sipped at his drink, a little crease forming between his brows. It was an endearing expression, a serious sort of deliberation that made Donghyuck think it would be fun to mess with him. 

“What’s in the bag?” Mark asked, now frowning at the sizable paper bag beside Donghyuck.

“My friend asked me to grab some bagels while I was here,” Donghyuck said. “You want one?”

“Are they toasted? Or just, plain?”

Donghyuck stared at him. “Mark, I’ve got 18 bagels in here. Of course they’re not toasted, they’re probably not even sliced.”

“Oh.” Mark glanced at the bag and chuckled. “I’m alright then.”

Donghyuck shook his head, because who would buy bagels in bulk and get them all toasted?

Mark’s brow furrowed. “Wait, you bought eighteen bagels for your friend?”

“Yeah.” It did seem a bit excessive when Donghyuck thought about it, so maybe Mark wasn’t the only weird one here. “Bagels don’t go bad, do they?”

“I mean, they get, you know, stale eventually. And moldy, I think.”

Donghyuck supposed Renjun would be eating nothing but bagels for the week, and he’d be picking up the slack. He hoped they were as good as Renjun had said they would be.

“Well, that’s not my problem,” Donghyuck said with a shrug. It wasn’t like he’d paid for them, either. “I’m so-so on bagels anyway.”

“Really? I kinda like them,” Mark said.

“But only if they’re toasted?”

Mark laughed. “You can’t just eat a bagel, like, raw. It tastes weird, and the texture’s all off.”

“Sure,” Donghyuck replied. He took a sip of his drink and winced when he got a huge chunk of chocolate syrup, too sweet to stomach on its own.

Mark raised an eyebrow. “What even is that?”

“My drink?” Donghyuck looked down at his mess of whipped cream and drizzle and tried to swallow down the flavor cloying on the back of his tongue. “It’s a milky way latte, I thought the name was cool but it’s a bit much. I don’t think the whole thing was mixed together and now I’ve just got the syrupy part, but it was really good at first.”

“Milky way latte?” Mark echoed, and Donghyuck nodded. “Maybe I’ll try it sometime. I just got iced tea, I’m not a huge coffee fan.”

“You’d definitely like this then.”

Mark laughed a little, and Donghyuck liked the way it made his eyes crinkle. He was cute, and more honest than a lot of people their age. Honest in the way he didn’t hold back his laughter, didn’t really hide much of anything, it seemed. Donghyuck remembered their first meeting, and he thought that only someone like that would show up to meet a stranger for a date in a café.

He was glad Yuta set them up, he realized, because it was just so easy with Mark. And maybe Donghyuck wanted more than chance meetings at the Thinking Cup café, maybe he wanted to be a bit more intentional about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> andd i managed to squeeze this into wednesday so im technically still on schedule!
> 
> hope you enjoyed the update, and have a lovely rest of your week <3


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